Most film critics panned the first lady documentary “Melania,” even going outside their professional-reviewer roles to promise that the movie would bomb in cinemas. But mean-spirited film critics proved inept at business forecasting. The frothy Melania Trump movie (Instagram screen grab above) defied those knocks to gross a decent $7.2 million domestically (U.S. and Canada) … [Read more...] about Devotees Lift ‘Melania’ Past Critics’ Barbs
talent
Luxury Wristwatches Star in Hollywood
The luxury wristwatch industry is going ga-ga over product placements on celebrities at awards shows. Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney are among the stars conspicuously flashing pricey time-piece metal for TV and photographers at Sunday’s Golden Globe awards. A Hollywood Reporter magazine story summed up with the headline: “Leonardo DiCaprio Really Wanted You to See His … [Read more...] about Luxury Wristwatches Star in Hollywood
Art Forgery: Kevin James Goes Undercover
Comedian Kevin James promotes his romantic comedy film “Solo Mio” as an unrelated character in online videos without identifying himself or the movie. James dropped videos on social media weeks ago presenting himself as art teacher Matt Taylor delivering earnest learning tips. The publicity ploy garnered growing attention from celebrity news outlets over time. The Parade … [Read more...] about Art Forgery: Kevin James Goes Undercover
Celebrity Skin Sells Films
Lionsgate's creepy drama “The Housemaid” is tracking toward a decent $35 million premiere weekend, helped in part by star Sydney Sweeney ginning up publicity with a topless photo. The pretty blonde actress released the still image of getting makeup applied while topless, though artfully concealing her bare breasts. That behind-the-scenes staged photo was given to fans Dec. … [Read more...] about Celebrity Skin Sells Films
Film Fest Ovations Stoke Marketing
Lengthy audience standing ovations have become de rigueur for premieres at the Cannes Film Festival, which provides a marketing tool for publicity. In the image above, the Cannes fest premiere for “Being Maria” gets a standing ovation in 2024 for director Jessica Palud and Matt Dillon (at center). Photo: John Sears - CC. A Deadline.com story by Nancy Tartaglione notes … [Read more...] about Film Fest Ovations Stoke Marketing
Takeaways From Topsy-Turvy Oscar Race
The rough-and-tumble Oscar race imprints a half dozen indelible lessons in Hollywood awards marketing. Going forward, expect rigorous scrubbing for social media accounts of heavily promoted talent and also pushing self-serving boundaries in defining supporting actor/actress. A Variety article by Clayton Davis notes that old but incendiary social media posts by actress Karla … [Read more...] about Takeaways From Topsy-Turvy Oscar Race
H’wood Saturates Super Bowl Sans Film Ads
Just three film commercials ran in yesterday’s Super Bowl, which is U.S. TV's most expensive advertisement, though Hollywood celebrities and brands were omnipresent. Those pricey in-game spots were for “Thunderbolts,” “How to Train Your Dragon” (screen grab above) and “M3gan: 2.0," out of about 60 total spots. The usual range is four to 10 in-game movie commercials, which … [Read more...] about H’wood Saturates Super Bowl Sans Film Ads
Disney Star Ignites Political Storm
A Walt Disney Studios star imperils the marketplace reception of a reported $270 million film by taking a strong anti-Trump stand. It’s the worst nightmare of every film distributor, having the personal, off-camera conduct of talent ignite an extraneous controversy. “'May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” posted actress Rachel Zegler. … [Read more...] about Disney Star Ignites Political Storm
Offbeat Influencers Intrigue Publicists
Hollywood publicists invite fringe influencers to premieres and other PR events, apparently to tap their digital media followers who don’t frequent traditional media. There is a debate about the value of bringing unconventional media personalities inside the film-marketing tent. For example, in May, Disney’s 20th Century Fox picked up travel expenses for influencer Easton … [Read more...] about Offbeat Influencers Intrigue Publicists
Premiere Press Coverage Propels ‘It Ends’
Romantic comedy “It Ends With Us” is headed for a relatively big cinema premiere Friday, helped by buzz from its star-laden premiere. “It Ends,” whose star Blake Lively was catalyst for extensive media coverage of its premiere, is a PG-13 rom-com from Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. The gala Aug. 6 premiere at the … [Read more...] about Premiere Press Coverage Propels ‘It Ends’